How To Build A Retaining Wall On A River Bank

Retaining Walls Are Your First Line of Protection Confronting Shore Erosion

Seawalls, otherwise known as retaining walls, are a common sight along the shorelines of the Fob Waterway here in Illinois. If you're a waterfront property possessor, you lot may be wondering, "Do I need retaining walls? What do I need to know about them?"

Seawalls Unlimited wants you to take everything you demand to make well-informed decisions about your shoreline. Here's our comprehensive guide to retaining walls. The topics we're going to cover are:

What are the benefits of retaining walls?
What are the unlike types of seawalls?
How do you choose the right type of seawall for your property?
What sort of maintenance and repairs might a retaining wall need?

What Are the Benefits of Retaining Walls?

And so, why get a retaining wall in the get-go place? The near important reason to consider a seawall is to protect your shoreline against the forces of erosion, flooding, and more. Here's a breakdown of those and other reasons to consider installing a retaining wall.

Retaining Walls Forestall State Erosion

Over time, the waves from the natural menstruum of water as well as wakes from passing boats volition push button against the soil on your shoreline. This causes it to break upwards, disintegrating into the water. As time goes past, the shoreline volition take much less state and much more h2o. That can be devastating for waterfront property owners.

A retaining wall, when properly designed and maintained, provides constructive erosion control to prevent this from happening. It acts equally a barrier to keep the land where it is, and then your property has room to thrive.

Seawalls Protect Property from Flooding

You tin can predict how high the water rises about your shoreline during normal weather. What about during a storm? Torrential rains can and do bring floodwaters which ascent far above what we normally encounter, sometimes with very trivial warning.

When that happens, information technology tin can crusade lots of property damage, and fast. Only bank check out what happened along the Fox River last twelvemonth. Heavy rains upward north brought water rushing downstream. It swept away people's boats and other possessions, deteriorated their shorelines, and sent debris crashing into people's docks and washing up on their shores.

A retaining wall will help protect your property from flooding, and buy you more fourth dimension to set up in the issue of a storm or flood.

They're Long-Lasting

Some seawalls are hundreds of years old and however standing to this day. When properly designed, synthetic, and maintained, your retaining wall will final you for many years to come up. This makes it an effective way to protect your country for generations to come up.

Types of Retaining Walls

Hither at Seawalls Unlimited, we offer three main types of retaining walls. Those are steel seawalls, outcropping, and rip rap. Let's take a look at each of these types of seawall.

Steel Seawalls

retaining walls This is a popular seawall design common throughout the Play tricks Waterway and the Chain O'Lakes. You lot've probably seen many of them along the shoreline. They're the most apparently-looking, simply also the most versatile type of retaining wall.

Installing this type of retaining wall is a multi-step procedure. The crew first excavates the shoreline to ensure plenty space to work. They then construct a "expressionless man" structure. They build this underground back up system from v- and seven-judge steel, galvanized steel, and steel circular-stock tie-dorsum rods. This structure braces the seawall against erosion.

Once the steel seawall is installed, they fill the area. Some contractors use soil, simply it's better to use medium-sized #8 stone. That's because soil soaks up and holds water, while stone lets information technology pass through. In one case the space is filled with stone, it's covered with a vented plastic sheet, superlative soil, a straw blanket, and grass seed. The plastic canvass keeps soil from falling through the rock, and the grass regrows over the top to hide the fact the area was excavated.

Outcropping

If you don't similar the spartan expect of steel seawalls, outcropping is a good alternative. Outcropping is a wall congenital out of rows of layered rock, usually in large flat pieces. When you use irregular rock, this gives the shoreline a more than natural look.

The installation process starts a lot like information technology does with the steel seawalls. Our crew excavates the shoreline to the right class. So they lay down a filter textile to forestall soil from eroding away from under or backside the outcropping.

Once that's in identify, nosotros gather the layers of stone like a jigsaw puzzle. These are mostly big, flat pieces of limestone averaging betwixt 1,000 and 1,800 pounds. They vary a lot in terms of elevation, shape, texture, and color, allowing us to create a unique expect that fits your shoreline.

Rip Rap

Rip rap is another alternative to steel seawalls, also fabricated from stone. The term "rip rap" originally comes from the noun "rap," meaning a series of knocks or strikes. So, rip rap is made of layers of fractured stones broken up into smaller pieces. Maybe you've seen rip rap lining the shores of ponds and streams. This is the virtually natural and eco-friendly option.

Installing rip rap starts a lot like installing other types of seawalls. Again, our crew excavates the earth to the right course and covers the soil with a protective cloth. We then layer the rock on top. Rip rap with smaller 3" to vi" stones is best for small ponds and no-wake zones. In contrast, 6" to 12" stones are better for rivers and inland lake shorelines.

Check out our detailed breakdown of these three seawall designs here!

Which Type of Retaining Wall Is Correct for Me?

So, how do you choose which type of seawall is correct for your property? Hither are some helpful guidelines.

What Sort of Sea Will Information technology Edge?

retaining walls Your start consideration should be the body of water the retaining wall volition border. Think almost the size and depth of the water, as well as currents and salinity.

Smaller and calmer bodies of water are less enervating on the seawall. If you border a calm bit of lake or a small swimming, you can utilize rip rap with stones every bit small equally 3" to vi". If y'all border an inland lake shoreline or a river, yous tin use 6" to 12" rip rap stones. You could also use outcropping or a steel seawall if the waters are rougher.

Also think most the water's table salt content. If you're adjoining a saltwater body similar an inlet or even the sea, you lot might want to avoid steel seawalls, which are improve for freshwater.

What Conditions and Activity Levels Will Be Near It?

The next affair y'all should recollect about is the environment effectually the shoreline. Consider the shoreline weather as well as the level of nearby homo activity.

Are boat wakes going to exist an issue? Boat wakes are the waves which a boat or jet-ski creates in the water every bit it goes past. If lots of watercraft are always passing by at high speeds, the large wakes they create can significantly erode your shoreline over time. If there's a no-wake zone you may be able to use small-stone rip rap, simply areas with excessive wake may need a sturdier blueprint like outcropping or a steel seawall.

You lot should consider the shoreline itself besides. Is the soil sandy? Is it mostly dirt or silt? Is the incline gradual, or steep? Y'all should learn nigh the installation process for each design to determine if it'd work for your property. Since steel seawalls penetrate whatsoever kind of soil, they may exist your safest selection if you're unsure most the stability of your shoreline.

There'due south notwithstanding potential for other designs in rough conditions, though. In areas with potentially dangerous currents, you can use large rip rap stones to create a barrier that'south hard to walk on. That'll discourage people from wandering too close. The largest varieties of rip rap too effectively prevent soil erosion and restore banks in problem areas. In contrast, if you want convenient water access, outcropping can provide natural rock steps for you lot to use.

Does Eco-Friendliness and Appearance Matter to You?

Finally, you might want to give some thought to your seawall's advent and how much you lot want to focus on eco-friendliness.

If you desire an environmentally friendly seawall, rip rap is the all-time option. Unlike other designs, rip rap doesn't block organisms from moving in and out of the h2o. If y'all're worried almost harming organisms like turtles past impeding their ability to utilize the shoreline, rip rap offers a less intrusive solution. It can fifty-fifty exist colonized by some native plan and insect species.

In improver, rip rap gives you the most natural look. The native plants and other vegetation can partially cover up the stones, which look pretty natural to begin with. It'll almost like it isn't a manmade structure, and then it's nice if you desire something that blends in with the shoreline.

Outcropping looks more planned and manmade, but can nevertheless be beautiful. The irregularity of the stones leaves y'all a lot of possibilities depending on the mood you want to set.

Nevertheless, if beauty and eco-friendliness aren't loftier on your list of priorities, at that place'south zip wrong with a practical and sturdy steel seawall.

Which Design Fits Your Budget?

Last but not to the lowest degree, you'll want to evaluate which design best fits your budget.

The outset indicate to address here is, do you lot care more most installation costs or long-term ownership costs? Rip rap is usually the virtually cost-effective pattern in the brusk term because the materials are unproblematic and inexpensive. On the other hand, a steel seawall has the longest lifespan. That may save you money in the long run if you hold onto the property and maintain the retaining wall properly.

Yet, you lot should be aware that the relative costs of each design are besides adamant by your shoreline. Differences in incline, soil blazon, currents, and other factors will touch your seawall'southward design specifications and make up one's mind what piece of work needs to exist done to ensure your wall is built to last.

Encounter our full article on choosing the right seawall design here!

Seawall Maintenance and Repair

Similar whatsoever other construction, retaining walls need upkeep if you desire them to last. So, what does that entail? Hither's a primer on some of the bones elements of seawall maintenance and repair.

Basic Maintenance for Retaining Walls

To showtime with, in that location are a few bones tasks you should do on a regular footing to help preclude any bug with your retaining wall.

The commencement is to keep a close eye on any plant growth around your wall. Though some seawalls such every bit those made with rip rap incorporate mural shrubbery and native plant affair to create a more than natural and eco-friendly artful, not all growth is practiced growth. Check for weeds. Their roots can diameter deep into the footing, causing cracks and other penetrations in the liner and other parts of your seawall.

You should also be checking on weep holes. These are openings which allow water from behind the seawall to filter through instead of accumulating and putting pressure on the wall. Clear any blockages and make sure they accept adept catamenia and aren't bottleneck. Otherwise, you'll have increased chance of cracks and crumbling.

Finally, some owners apply spray-on waterproofing solution to their retaining walls. This provides an actress layer of protection against water erosion. Depending on your seawall blueprint and shoreline, this might be a good item to add to your maintenance regimen.

Perform Pocket-sized Repairs

Some problems with retaining walls are simple enough that you tin prepare them yourself with a bit of DIY experience. Minor cracks and holes, for example, can be sealed with marine grout. That'll keep water from flowing through and eroding away soil and sand from under or behind the seawall.

What problems you look for will vary depending on your seawall design.

If you have a steel seawall, look for cracks, leaks, and rust.
If you have rip rap, look for dislodged stones that need to be replaced.
Finally, with outcropping, you lot should await for joint separation. This occurs as stones shift and settle over time and tidal shifts put different pressures on the wall. Yous can spot holes on the landward side where soil is spilling through the separation. Alternatively you can spot seawall backfill in the water, especially at depression tide.

Check for Signs of Bigger Bug

On top of those smaller problems, you lot should also check for bug that can grow into more expensive problems. Expect for these during your regular maintenance checks and especially later major runoff events like storms or flooding.

Loss of soil or sinkholes backside the wall. These are caused by defects in the wall, leading to water seepage under or through the wall. This outcome weakens the wall merely too leads to further erosion issues and potentially belongings loss.
Rust-colored cracks in the wall or sheeting. This is rebar eroding due to salt water damage. Rebar eroding is a very serious issue because it causes the rebar to expand. That creates more cracks and allows h2o to get through. When a storm comes, the seawall is at risk of failing.
Rotating or sinking walls. This is commonly acquired by force per unit area from water defenseless backside the wall. It can cause firsthand damage if not addressed, including total failure of the wall and major soil loss.

If you notice these bug, you should go a professional person inspection to assess what repair work needs to be done. Oftentimes, minor separations and other issues tin can exist stock-still up with jointing sands or hydraulic cement. In more than extreme cases though, the crew may need to do some excavation to address the underlying effect.

Read our complete introduction to seawall maintenance here!

What to Do When a Seawall Needs Serious Repairs

Sometimes, it's too belatedly for routine maintenance. If you lot detect your seawall is sagging, sinking, or bowing outwards, your retaining walls need serious repair work from a team of professionals.

For example, ane blazon of repair for retaining walls is footer repair. This is when the seawall's base no longer extends far enough into the soil, as a result of tidal erosion pushing sand fill out of the bottom of the wall. In that case, the bottom of the wall needs to be extended by adding pilings to the front of the wall and pouring concrete to form a new edge.

These aren't repairs you can handle on your own. Seawalls Unlimited is a crew of professionals who have been installing and maintaining retaining walls in McHenry, IL and the greater Chicago expanse for years. If you have any questions near seawall repairs or any other aspect of retaining walls, only requite u.s.a. a telephone call. We'll assess your land and do our best to give you the service you lot deserve.

Source: https://seawallsunlimited.com/complete-guide-to-retaining-walls/